Alone in the Mist
by Savvyzzzz The Awesome Ninja
Summary: Her answer determined whether she went home or not. If she answered wrong, she was doomed to stay forever. If she answered wrong, she would never see the human world again. If she answered wrong, her parents would surely die. Her final answer would cause all of these things...things she would never have dreamed of happening...Things that would leave her alone in the mist.
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

**I don't own Spirited Away, or its plot. **

**More info on the bottom, but story dedicated to bassethound1021 :)**

* * *

She stared at the pigs, anxiety and nervousness trickling through her body. She couldn't help it considering hundreds of spirits were looking down at her. The sun beating down on her head wasn't helping either, along with the snorting pigs. Everything around her just seemed so enhanced that it was even making her have trouble thinking at the moment. A young boy stood back watching her with a close eye, while a witch waited in anticipation to see if she would pass or fail the test.

This girl was named...

_Chihiro._

You would think, by her appearance, that she was a rather frail girl. Her skinny arms didn't add to it, but beauty was hidden behind the child like mask. Her parents and her had bought a new house. They had tried to get there and lost their way. As a result, Chihiro and her parents had ended up in the Spirit World. Her parents bound there by a spell that had turned them into pigs, a nightmare for Chihiro to begin with. A wide adventure had occured for the young girl who was only a young age of ten, and it was a lot for her to take in.

Standing there at that very moment determined whether or not she was going home or not. It was the median, or rift, between her normal life or her parents dying. Chihiro knew if she guessed wrong her parents would never see the human world again, let alone her. After today, if she got it wrong, they would probably be killed and eaten.

_'Stop thinking so negatively,' _said the girl as she mentally slapped herself. She couldn't afford to fail at a time like this.

Chihiro glanced around one last time, meeting the eyes of every spirit watching. Sweat beat down her creamy skin under the scorching sun. She met the eyes of the of her dear friend, who she had grown to treat like a sister. The last pair of eyes she met was Haku's, the boy who had been with her the whole way. The one who had held her heart since she was so young, but her parents were on her mind more.

Her eyes drifted back to the pen- snorting and honking erupted from within. Painstakingly, her brain tried to pick out her parents. The pigs all looked the same...Chihiro couldn't seem to pick one from the other.

_'They all look the same.'_

There had to be something that distinguished her parents from the others.

_'They all look exactly alike.'_

She knew she had to guess right.

_'I don't know which ones they are.'_

Chihiro sucked a breath in through her mouth into her lungs. It was time; she knew she had to pick. This very answer was going to dictate whether or not her life would go back to normal or change completely. It was either save her parents and go back home, or leave them to die and stay here. Chihiro knew she had to guess right. There was just no thought in her mind of what was going to happen if she were to guess wrong.

"You get one try," said the witch. "If you get it right, you can all go home."

Chihiro barely heard the witches voice as she continued to contemplate on her final answer. Those two words were all she heard...

**Go home.**

The young girl took another minute, leaving the other spirits waiting in agony. They all were wishing her the best, except one, Haku. He desperately wanted her to live the life he knew she needed to live, but he wanted her to stay here. He wanted the girl who freed him to stay with him and not leave; although, he wasn't the kind to be selfish. Haku knew he had to wish her the best because she needed to go back to where she belonged.

His breath hitched as he watched Chihiro open her mouth. He saw her turned to face the witch, her chestnut hair flowing fast her face. The witch watched as well, eyes firm and waiting.

"They're those two," she said.

Chihiro's finger pointed to two pigs to the left of the pen. They were snorting rather loudly, probably the most obnoxious out of the bunch. Chihiro met the witches eyes and saw that they were still firm.

"Is that your final answer?"

"Yes."

That was it...Chihiro has finalized her answer. She was sure those were her parents. The way they snorted and hollered at her just made her think of their desperation to get their daughter back. Chihiro was a hundred percent sure, but that all changed when she looked to see the other spirit's facial expressions.

Their faces were pale and their eyes were wide. The color had completely drained out of some of their faces, especially Haku's. Chihiro had started to wonder what was happening. She had been positive she had answered right, but now she was having second thoughts.

"You answered wrong," said the witch plainly.

Chihiro stood there for a moment, then the witch's answer hit her.

_She had chosen wrong._

Fear hit her then like a boulder. Her body had become ridged and stiff. A few feet away from her stood Haku. His facial expression was the same. He was so sure she was going to get it right, but the shock of the moment hit him.

"No!" Chihiro cried. "I guessed right!"

"I'm sorry, but you guessed wrong, Chihiro." The witch's words were like sharpened arrows. They penetrated her heart so hard and her body begun to shake.

_She had guessed wrong._

_..._

_Her parents were going to die._

_..._

_She wasn't leaving._

* * *

***sees people staring at me then frantically waves* Hi everyone! Look who it is...Savvyzzzz the Awesome Ninja! Starting a new story here as you can see. I was asked by someone to write a new story about an hour ago, and since I had some free time I decided to chug out the prologue. Like I said earlier in the chapter this story is for bassethound1021. I got a message saying they wanted me to write a story if I could so...I said yes! I normally don't update during the week, but had some time tonight before I got to bed. Well tell me what you think and leave a review. Enjoy the story and see you on Sunday :P**


	2. Chapter 2 Coping with Pain

_She lay there, shivering and alone. It had been three weeks since that damned test and her parents were still in the pig pen surprisingly. She would've thought that they would've been dead by now, but Haku had somehow been able to keep them alive. Chihiro would sneak away sometimes in the middle of the night to see her parents, or with Haku when she could. Yubaba had been purposefully not feeding her parents, and had separated them from the other swines. They were growing thin and weak. The one that looked like her mother, or acted like it, seemed to loathe in the corner. The other, her father, would nudge Chihiro's "mother" constantly, but she would never bother getting up half the time._

_Chihiro had pondered on this and still had some trouble sleeping. The working schedule at the bathhouse was still making it difficult to sleep. Starting to work in the middle of the night sometimes, and other times she woke up in the middle of the day. Working itself had become a burden; however, Lin had tried many times to cheer Chihiro up, but nothing worked._

_Chihiro tried to smile through the day, despite the fact that she knew she was never going home. Keeping a smile all the time was hard, but the workers didn't bother her anymore like they used to. Most of them greeted her and waved, not complaining of her stench, that was now faded. The bathhouse had started to turn into a familiar place, but images of her parents kept coming into her mind._

_She knew her parents would be out of her reach soon. What she really wanted to know was how long Haku was going to be able to keep them alive much longer. Even though he still remained at the bathhouse, despite gaining his true name, Yubaba didn't like him any better._

_Tears started to wet the floorboards beneath her, as her chest heaved up and down. Was anything going to get better? How was she going to survive her. She had enemies, ones that wanted her gone._

_'Maybe it's best if I run...Just run till I can run no more,' she thought._

* * *

Her quiet sobs filled the room she was in. Other yuna's were at work, but Chihiro refused to go work in the condition she was in. What happened yesterday, failing the test and all, didn't seem like reality. Haku had tried to talk with her, but she pushed him away as far as she could push him. She wanted him there, but she didn't at the same time.

She wasn't one to have people around her when she cried. She'd rather have no one with her to see her weakness and bellowing. Chihiro was still a weak girl, but one person had really seen her cry and that was Haku. When he took her to see her parents was when she had truly let out those lost feelings; the agony of losing her parents and everything that was going on.

Chihiro hadn't really lost her parents yet, but in the next few weeks, their deaths were going to come. She knew there was hardly anything she could do. Haku promised Chihiro he would try to keep her parents alive as long as he could. He himself knew that was going to be a tough job; however, he was willing to go the length for the girl who gave him his name back, and had been a great friend on his part.

Chihiro continued to stare at the night sky, but forced herself to get up from the railing. She then stretched and rubbed her eyes. She had enough crying for one day and tried to hide the evidence that tears had covered her face. Chihiro wrapped her arms lazily around herself, as if it was a boundary of protection. She remained like that for a few minutes and soundlessly stared out at the rippling waters of the ocean.

"What am I going to do?" she whispered to herself. "I'm such a pathetic girl stuck in a crazed world."

Chihiro rocked back and forth on her heels as she questioned herself. She did so to see what she was going to do in the days to come, but she really had no true idea. She didn't know how she was going to make it through. Her eyes filled with tears once more, and Chihiro let them flow this time. The overwhelming feelings just wouldn't stay in.

What she didn't know, was that a lone figure stood in the shadows outside the yuna's quarters. The figure quietly listened to the sobs of Chihiro and gave a shake of her head. Chihiro should have been able to go home no matter what, failing the test or not. She didn't deserve to be stuck her and her parents stuck at pigs.

The figure plucked her brown hair from her face and moved it behind her ear. She let out a sigh and turned away from the room. She knew Chihiro wanted to be alone since she had avoided work for the past hour. Yubaba was bound to find out the child was skipping work, and probably threaten to kill her parents at that very moment. But she knew Chihiro needed the silence to let her emotions come out.

"Poor girl," she whispered as she drifted back downstairs. She was sure she was going to check on Chihiro later and have a talk with her; however, unless the dragon got to her first.

* * *

"Kari, did you finish cleaning bath number 24?" asked Haku with a clipboard in hand.

"Yes and Sera has finished cleaning the big tub in the north wing as well." The young yuna stood there waiting for instruction from Haku.

"Kari have you seen Chihiro?"

"Chihiro?" Kari asked with a confused voice.

"I mean Sen. I haven't seen her down here yet. Did she come down to clean any baths?"

"No, sir. I haven't seen Sen down here since the shift started."

"Thank you," said Haku with a wave and a second later he was gone from the bath number 24.

He then appeared in the hallway outside the bath and walked in a synchronized pace. It was a rather fast pace and he wanted to see where Chihiro was. He knew what had happened yesterday had devastated her, and she needed time to cool down, but Yubaba was going to get on her case. Then again Haku could just hold off Yubaba. She didn't control him anymore since his contract was completely abolished, but Chihiro was still under her control.

He couldn't believe she had gotten it wrong and all. Haku was sure she was going to get it right, but he had been wrong in the end. The only reason he was still in this damned place was because of Chihiro, and he would gladly stay here for her. She was the one who had freed him, so he would stick by her side and help her; however, Yubaba would still be breathing over his neck trying to control him.

Haku let out a sigh and slipped into the elevator with ease. He pulled the latch down and watched as different floors passed him by. He needed to make sure Chihiro was okay. He couldn't let his best friend get into any more trouble with that old hag, and he needed to support her.

"Let her be okay," he whispered to himself.

* * *

**Hello everyone! Here's the second chapter, a day late though :/ Have been busy since yesterday, but I made sure I got this thing out no later. Thank you for the four readers that reviewed! Thank you...**

**bassethound1021**

**Scarlet Ammo 19**

**Fruity Smell**

**84sazza-robin84**

**Hope this was good enough for you guys and see ya next Sunday! Review :)**


	3. Chapter 3 Downfall and Revenge

Chihiro slipped out of the yuna sleeping quarters and made her way through the clustered room to the sliding door. There were various beds, sheets, and sleeping bags scattered about on the floor; however, it was rather difficult to see in the dark considering the night sky and the moon didn't give off a lot of light. Chihiro probably stumbled about once or twice, and let out a yelp as she almost feel face first into the floor.

"Damn this," she mumbled. She usually wasn't the one to curse, considering she was ten years old, but it just came out when she was frustrated. She kicked a bed sheet out of the way, and stumbled again as she finally reached the door. With a shaky hand she reached up and grasped the handle of the door. It slid open with barely any sound, and it revealed a rather silent, empty hallway.

Chihro glanced up and down the hallway. Sure she had become aware of the traffic of the hallway the past few days, but you never knew what could pop up. With a sigh, she stepped out into the hallway and made her way along quickly. Her head hung low, and she tried to be transparent as she passed a few spirits. A pair of yunas walked by laughing hysterically, and it was a hoarse kind of laugh that pierced her ears.

A grimace crossed her face and sh reached up to rub her nose. It was still runny from the crying she had done, but she finally decided she was going to make it through this situation as best as she could. Being here this past few weeks taught Chihiro how to stand strong, and that's exactly what she was going to do. Her head suddenly raised as she watched the spirits. As she was just about to turn a corner, someone crashed right into her.

The impact sent Chihiro flying straight back, and caused her to land with a 'thump' on the hard wood floor. She looked up to see a green haired boy getting up. As he looked up he met her eyes and they widened.

"Oh Chihiro, I'm so sorry!" he stated as he got up. He quickly appeared by her side and offered her a hand.

Chihiro rubbed the back of her head then took his hand.

"Thanks Haku and sorry for running into you. It was my fault."

"No it was my fault for not looking where I was going," Haku said. "And I guess this worked out in the end though because I was looking for you anyway."

"Really? Why?"

"I checked with some of the yunas downstairs and they said you didn't report to the beginning of your shift. I know you're having a hard time with everything. If you need someone to talk to I'm here for you."

"Thanks," she said with a bittersweet smile as she finally got to her feet. "It's just that I have been thinking a lot of things over an-"

"Maybe we should move to somewhere where there's less people. I don't need someone overhearing us. It's bad enough that cold hearted witch kept you here," he said with a whisper.

"It was my fault for being so stupid," she said with a lopsided face. "I was so sure they were in there. I was so sure that they were in that pen. They had to be in there...I could see them squealing...How did I get it wrong."

Chihiro then started to yell at herself once more. She tried to keep her composure, but it didn't work. She felt like punching a wall, and breaking down crying at the same time; however, she knew she couldn't do that in front of Haku. She was stronger now, she knew she was. This whole journey had made her stronger, and Chihiro told herself she would get through it no matter what, or so she hoped.

"Chihiro, it was a mistake. I'll try to figure out a way to get you and your parents out of he-"

"It was a mitake that's going to cause my parents their life," she cried. Her eyes started to well up, and the burden of her stupidity came upon her once more. She couldn't stand the fact her parents were going to die because of her actions.

"Chihiro we'll find a way."

"What way?!" The ten year old pleaded. "There's no way to free me from this contract! I'm stucl here because I couldn't pick my own parents out of a pigpen!"

Chihiro's yelling started to increase, and other spirits stopped to watch the scene before them unfold. At that moment Haku grasped Chihiro's shoulder and steadied her.

"I'll find a way. You have helped me so much, that I basically owe you my life. I will help you Chihiro in every way I can. I will find a way, trust me." Haku didn't want to say too much considering the amount of spirits around, but he tried to get his point across. "I'm here for you," he said once more.

"It's hard to believe...It feels like I'm all alone...In a a dark nightmare with no way to get out."

"I'll help you get out of this dark nightmare."

"Are you sure? Are you sure you can save me from my own stupidity and demise? I...I just want to go home." With that Chihiro's body started to slump to the floor as she let out a cry. Haku swiftly moved forward and caught her before her body reached the ground.

"I know you do," he whispered as he whisked her back to the yunas quarters, knowing she was in no condition to work.

* * *

He watched through the mirror with a causal expression. His head rested in his hand, and a smirk covered his face. Watching the girl was a rather fun sight. Seeing her shake and cry brought him a bit of joy and laughs.

"She's such a fragile thing. Too bad she got herself wrapped up in this whole thing. Poor poor poor human girl." The man then let out a loud chuckle that echoed throughout the room.

He continued to watched the images through the mirror; Haku carrying Chihiro back to the yunas quarters and such.

"You will pay Kohaku. You will not escape my grasp so easily, and the human girl will pay for your mistake as well."

* * *

**Thank you so much for everyone that reviewed! I truly adore you all! You are all wonderful in every way! I'm sorry this took so long. I seriously promise to update sooner since I'm in the roll of things once more. I know this chapter is short, and I promise a longer one which will be posted on Thursday. Think of it as a Thanksgiving present :D Well hope you liked the chapter, and more importantly, REVIEW! :D**


	4. Chapter 4 Upbringing and The Witch

Lin stood beside Haku as he knelt beside Chihro. Lin had wandered into the yunas quarters looking for the both of them and found them sitting by the balcony. She knew Haku had work to do, but at the same time she knew the witch didn't control him. Chihiro had freed him of the cursed contract just over a day ago, yet he remained here, by her side.

Lin knew the dragon wouldn't let any harm to that girl. He was not the type to drop everything and alienate himself from the bathhouse and Chihiro. Haku was the one who would willingly stick around, and help those in need; however, a special bond existed between these two, love. Kamajii had pointed it out, but yet they were still so young, well at least Chihiro was.

"I'm such an idiot," she mumbled.

"Your not," Haku replied as he looked out onto the vast ocean.

"Will I ever go home?" Chihiro turned to look at him with those chestnut eyes, and it was hard for him to reply when she looked so desperate for a good answer.

"Chihiro," he whispered. "I don't know, I don't think you will be able too. But I will do everything in my power to keep you alive as well as your parents."

A sigh escaped her lips and she slumped over the balcony even further. Chihiro's hair swayed with the hands of the wind, and her thoughts seemed to fly with them as well. The light of the moon reflected her pale skin, which revealed paths of frustration and sadness. Her mind and life was in such turmoil at the moment, and she recognized that, but Chihiro knew there had to be some way out of here, or something she could do to help her parents.

"There had to be something wrong with that test," Chihiro mumbled.

Lin leaned against the wall beside the two of them, and let out a sigh.

"I know the witch is old, cranky, and a cheapskate, but she wouldn't go that far as to keep you here. She wanted you go before you even stepped in here," said Lin.

"It doesn't feel like that test was fair," Chihiro replied.

The two continued to converse with each other, but Haku sat there. He continued looking out at the waters dwelling in his own thoughts. He could hear Lin and Chihiro talking, however, his mind was distant. His hands gripped the side of the balcony out of reaction to something he was talking about. In the end, he was drawn back to reality by Chihiro calling his name.

"Haku," Chihiro called. "Haku, answer me."

Haku snapped back to reality.

"Yeah, sorry. Something wrong?"

"No, you seemed out of it. Something wrong with you?"

"I'm doing just fine. Thinking some things over, nothing important really," said Haku.

"He's just thinking of you," said Lin with a smirk.

That earned Lin a stong glare from Haku, and a crimson faced Chihiro. Chihiro turned her face away and looked out onto the waters of the vast ocean once more. Haku just rolled his eyes and stood up. He knew it wasn't healthy for Chihiro to be sulking around in this room for the rest of the day. He then got up and offered Chihiro a hand.

"Let's get out out of this room. It isn't healthy for you to be crying your heart out. We'll find some way to help you get through this, and don't forget, you're surrounded by people who care about you. We'll help you in any way you need it."

Chihiro took his hand and smiled. Haku then walked with Chihiro out of the room, and Lin trailed behind them. As they reached the halls, Haku began to dwell in his thoughts once more.

_'What am I going to do?'_

* * *

After a few hours of cleaning baths, and working with Lin, Chihiro didn't feel so down anymore. Her worry of her parents subsided a bit, but it was still there, just not as strong. Chihiro smiled at a few spirits as she made her way through the bath halls. It was around lunchtime here, and Lin asked her to go get the food while she finished cleaning one of the bigger tubs.

_'You're surrounded by people who care about you.'_

That line kept ringing through Chihiro's mind. Haku's voice was soft and pleasent as he said that, and it gave her hope to continue on. Chihiro promised herself those were the last of the tears she would cry from frustration, and that she had to keep carrying on.

A yawn escaped her lips, as Chihiro finally reached the food area. The two toads spirits glanced down on her; one with a smile and the other with a eyeing glare.

"What can we get for you today, Chihiro?" asked the toad on the left. His skin was a rather dark green color, and his brown eyes seemed welcoming.

"Umm..." she started to reply, but the stare from the other toad seemed to agitate her. She ignored him and continued to answer. "Ummm just two bowls of noodles and two rice balls please."

"Will do," said the dark green toad, as he disappeared for a moment to go gather the food.

Chihiro tried so hard to ignore the intent stare from the toad, but she finally turned and looked at him. The toad was a lighter shade of green compared to the other one, but his eyes seemed more black. They glanced over her a few times, then a hint of disgust crossed his face as he turned to take on another spirit.

_'What's his problem?' _she wondered.

The dark green toad brought back a tray with the two bowls of noodles and rice balls. He gave it to her with a smile and bid her a good day, but as Chihiro walked off she could see the other toad glaring at her out of the corner of his eye. Chihiro decided not to pay any attention to it, but it kind of rattled her a bit.

She dodged spirits and made her way back to the bath Lin was at. Along the way a few spirits said hello and wished her luck, but as she rounded the last corner she heard voices coming from the bath Lin was at. Chihiro stood there for a second, listening in on the conversation, but slowly took a step and walked in. As she entered the room a petite chicken spirit was talking with Lin. They both looked over at Chihiro as they heard her step into the room.

"What does the witch want with her?" Lin asked in a harsh voice.

The little chicken spirit, hopped a few times, and gave a reply.

"I just send the orders of Yubaba. She wishes to see Sen as soon as possible," the little chick replied.

"Is there something wrong?" Chihiro asked as she walked up to the two spirits.

"This little thing is saying the witch wants you. I don't think you should go, she can't mean anything good. That witch has been anything but bad luck." Lin looked at the little chicken spirit in disgust.

"What does she need me for?" Chihiro addressed the petite spirit.

"She just requested your appearance in her office as soon as possible." The chick continued to jump up and down and Chihiro looked at it then to Lin. She wondered what the witch wanted. The times she had been up there weren't so pleasant.

"An answer human?" the chick requested.

"Tell her I will be up there later tonight," said Chihiro with a confident voice.

"Wha-" said Lin astonished.

"I will let Yubaba know," the chick then hopped once more and was gone in a puff of smoke.

As soon as the little chicken spirit was gone, Lin turned to Chihiro with a flustered expression. She couldn't believe what just came out of Sen's mouth.

"What were you thinking? You should have denied it!" Lin cried.

"I'm not running away from anything anymore," Chihiro stated.

"It's not called running away, it's called using common sense you dope."

Chihiro smiled at the use of Lin's nickname for her. She had used it quite a few times since Chihiro arrived at the bathhouse a little under a week ago.

"It's not like I'm facing her alone, I'll have Haku with me. He said he'll stand by my side, did he not?"

"You crazy human," mumbled Lin.

Chihiro just smiled.

"Let's eat this food, and then I'll head up with Haku later," stated Chihiro.

Chihiro continued to keep a smile on her face the whole time they ate. The food was rather good and took some of her worry away; however, in the end, the whole confident act was just a cover. Chihiro was seriously worried about what Yubaba wanted? What could the witch want with her in the first place? Couldn't she just leave her alone for at least a day?

_'I wonder what the witch wants.'_

* * *

_**Hello my fellow readers! Happy Thanksgiving to all you amercians or anyone else out there. Hope you have enjoyed the day so far! I love the reviews I got for the last chapter! Thanks so much for the support! Thanks to:**_

_**bassethound1021**_

_**roseskyangel**_

_**Bookworm99**_

_**:D**_

_**You're reviews keep wanting me to update sooner, and write more, so keep 'em coming. The next chapter should be up on Saturday afternoon. I hope you continue to enjoy the story and bassethound1021 hope this chapter suits you :)**_


	5. Chapter 5 Confronting Part 1

Chihiro slowly turned the corner in search of Haku. She had been in search of him for the past hour, but he was nowhere to be found. She had searched all the lower floors, and even went to the Boiler Room to see if he was in there, but Kamajii had seen no sign of him. Chihiro was expecting to show up to Yubaba's office soon, but it didn't seem like that was happening anytime soon.

Chihiro ran past some spirits, and just barely caught the elevator going down to the first floor. She swung herself in and the foreman that operated the elevator gave her an odd look.

"You seem to be in a hurry, Sen." The foreman gave a smirk as he pulled the lever down, sending the elevator to the lower floor.

"I'm trying to find Haku, but he's nowhere to be found." Chihiro let out a sigh and pushed a stray hair out of her face.

"Oh Haku...I thought I saw him under an hour ago."

"Really?" she said with surprise.

"Yeah, I asked him what floor he was going to, and he said he was going up to Yubaba's office."

"Wait what?" Chihiro's facial expression changed. She looked at the foreman with blank eyes. Chihiro knew that Haku must've overheard the conversation between her, the messenger, and Lin.

"Yeah he said he had issues to discuss with Yubaba, or something along that line." The foreman looked at the number of floors left and looked at Chihiro. "You'll be getting off here Chihiro." The elevator clicked into place and the doors opened.

"Really? Well...thanks for telling me."

"Anytime, Sen. Now you just stay out of trouble okay?"

"I'll try," she said with a smile. She exited the elevator and looked around. Chihiro could see the steam billowing up from the different baths, and a lot of commotion was going on downstairs. She didn't really know what to do now considering her shift was over a half an hour ago. She had time to roam a bit, which was what she had been doing. It made her frustrated though that she couldn't find Haku anywhere.

"Where is he?" she mumbled to herself.

* * *

Haku stood in front of Yubaba with a stern face, one that held abosoltely no expression except anger.

"What are you calling her here?" he growled.

"Someone is getting a little overprotective of a puny human," Yubaba said with a laugh. "What a sad sight you have become. At least when you were under my contract you would work better, and you weren't such a wuss. And plus, my buisness with that girl is nothing of your concern. Well in the end, your the reason why I'm calling her up...Maybe I have said to much already." The old witch continued to laugh, which angered Haku even more.

"I asked you why you are calling her up here," he repeated. "I will not say it again."

Yubaba stood there behind her desk. Her hair falling out of it's once neat bun. It now lay in stands falling on her heaving shoulders, as she continued to laugh her out out. A pile of papers laid on Yubaba's desk, dimly lit by the lamp on the side. Her chuckles set a shiver through the room and out into the cold night air; however, Haku just stood there with a cold, hard glare.

"It's your fault," said Yubaba. "It's your fault that she failed. It's your fault her parents are going to die. It's your fault she'll never leave here because in the end...It's. Your. Fault."

Haku paused and stood up straight. A hint of curiosity and confusion crossed his expression, but it was quickly replaced by that harbored anger.

"What are you talking about?" He usually didn't lose himself like this, but when it had something to do with Chihiro, it was necessary.

"Oh, just pretend like you don't know."

"What are you talking about?!"

The witch thought she might fall over in laughter. Seeing the pitiful dragon spirit angry and agitated was the best thing in the world.

"Oh you know...the deal you made, those years ago, the one the girl helped to break."

Haku stood there then suddenly realization hit him like a train.

"You...How do you know?"

"Putting you under contract was all in the plan and deal until the girl came along. Poor thing wouldn't have gotten involved if she would've died or something by trying to work here. You and her are now wrapped up in this situation. Kohaku," she said with a smile. "I wish you luck."

* * *

Chihiro had decided it was best if she just went up to Yubaba's office by herself. A good ten minutes after she got off the elevator, Chihiro headed back to it and headed up to Yubaba's office. She knew it wasn't the best idea but she had no other choice. She was still under the witches contract, and there was nothing she could do about it. There would probably never be another chance to break that contract and even though Haku was there to help, he couldn't do anything about the contract. Chihiro was under it, and the fate of the test was sealed.

The elevator clicked onto the floor where Yubaba's office was located and Chihiro slowly walked out. She really didn't want to be affiliated with Yubaba, but what could she do? The hallway, like all the other times, was dimly lit and completely silent. Nothing could be heard from what Chihiro could hear. The hallway itself seemed to have an eerie or uncanny sense to it and the air sent shivers down Chihiro's spine.

The art on the dimly lit walls were exclusive in their own way. The art was intricate as it displayed uncommon strokes and colors. The lights upon the walls drafted them more differently, still contributing to that eerie feeling the hallways gave off in general.

Chihiro took her first real step into the center of the hallways and let out a single breath. She knew where Yubaba's office, but she didn't know why. There was something about the hallways draft that told her which way to go. Chihiro slowly took another step and glanced down both sides of the hallway. She then walked to the right in search of Yubaba's office with her shoulders held high and her expression filled with confidence.

"I won't give into the witch easily," Chihiro sai to herself aloud. "I won't cry anymore. I have to stand up for myself."

The ten year old girl trudged on to Yubaba's office; however, little did she know, she had a nice surprise waiting for her once she entered the office.

* * *

**Well he- *dodges a spear* ...Someone crying to kill me?!**

**Chihiro: That was Yubaba**

***mumbles* Stupid witch**

**Yubaba: The chapter was too short!**

**I'm typing the other half right now, you witch! *clear throat* Now that that's out of the way I would like to thank**

**bassethound1021**

**blurpypop**

**Bookworm99**

**bookworm27805 (same person as bookworm 99? lol)**

**Thank u all again! I promise to have the next chapter out tomorrow. I just got home from a b-ball game and I'm quite tired. Expected if you run nonstop for four quarters straight :3 See ya tomorrow!**


	6. Chapter 6 Confronting Part 2

Chihiro stood in front of Yubaba's office knocking on the door a few times waiting for a response. Her head was held high and her body showed its confidence; however, she wasn't expecting a laugh to come from the door.

"Look who's here!" laughed the door handle. "It's the puny little human."

Chihiro stood there and ignored Yubaba's agonizing voice.

"You called me here, what would you like to discuss with me?" asked Chihiro.

"Oh," said the door handle. "Look, the little girl now has some confidence. Let's see if you'll get as scared as I made you a few days ago. Just for being ignorant, have a little ride to my office."

Her body was suddenly swept forward, and the door swung open. A loud laugh could still be hear from the door handle, but that was the least of Chihiro's concerns as she was impervious to the fact that she was getting dragged down the hall. Her body was lie a puppet, being swept with ease down every hallway and turn. These hallways were all too familiar, but they were flying by to fast for Chihiro to even pay attention to their detail. The flew by as if she was in a movie in fast forward, everything zooming by, but blurred at the same time.

She was suddenly swept into a hallway to the right of her, then through a door. Chihiro could feel the grip of magic on her release as she was thrown into a dimly lit room. A fire cracked in the corner, sending shadows up the walls, as if they were trying to claw their way out of the hearth. It spat out little sparks, but filled the room with a soothing warmth; however, the hoarse laughing coming from in front of Chihiro completely obliterated the mood.

"So look who has arrived," said a piercing voice. Chihiro looked up to meet the eyes of the witch as she pushed herself into a sitting position. As Chihiro did so, a hand rested on her shoulder and a figure was now beside her.

"Hey you okay?" said the figure and Chihiro turned to see who it was. As he chestnut eyes looked, they met emerald ones. They greeted her with happiness and comfort.

"I spend all my time looking for you, and your here, of course," said Chihiro with a smile.

"Yes, I had a little," Haku looked over at Yubaba "confrontation so I was held up, but we better be going now."

Haku helped Chihiro to her feet and started to pull her towards the door. Chihiro tried asking Haku what he was doing, but when they reached the door of the witch's office, it slammed shut, almost taking off their noses with it.

"The girl came here on her own will, and she is under my contract, so she will remain here."

"Chihir-"

"Haku, it's fine. She's right, I came here on my own will. I was looking for you, but in the end, I guess I found you anyway."

"Chihiro, this isn't the best idea."

The witch flicked her hand and sent Haku flying into the wall on the other side of the room. She rolled her eyes and lifted herself above her cluttered desk and landed in front of Chihiro. Yubaba's hair fluttered around her as soon as she landed, and her dress settling in it's place. Yubaba's rather large nose was right in Chihiro's face, Chihiro was even close enough to feel the breath of Yubaba's nostrils upon her face. Chihiro could clearly see up Yubaba's nostrils, which were not a pleasant sight, and the wart on her head didn't make her face look any more appealing.

"I suggest you leave the dragon out of our little conversation."

Chihiro looked over at Haku with a worried expression, but stayed put in front of the witch meeting her eyes.

"No," she said with a hint of confidence in her voice. "I want Haku to remain here."

"Did you forget you are under my contract, child? If you are trying to leave here, I will come hunt you down with ease."

Chihiro stayed silent, and just continued to look at the witch. Haku was on his feet, and back next to Chihiro in the next moment. He stood at her side, and anger was painted across his face. He glared at the witch, with a glare that looked as though he was going to kill her. Haku let out a snarl, and put himself between Chihiro and the witch.

"Do not include her in this, this is my doing," said Haku.

"Haku, you agonizing dragon, when will you understand. She's the one who broke the deal, she's now apart of it. At this rate she'll probably die soon, not by my hand of course."

Chihiro stood there utterly confused as the two spirits had started to converse. She didn't understand what in the world they were talking about. She noticed Yubaba said she would die soon. Die? Die by who?

_'I'm supposed to get killed?' _she thought.

* * *

**Hey everyone! Kill me no-**

**Yubaba: *throws a magical spear at me but I dodge***

**You crazy witch!**

**Yubaba: You took too long to update!**

**Hehehehe...sorry guys for taking so long. Since Christmas break is coming up for me, I'll definitely have more time to update. If you haven't read it yet, check out my 2 new chapters for Winds of the Lost. Sorry for the short chapter but...THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! LOVE YOU ALL! CONTINUE TO REVIEW AND HOPEFULLY SEE YOU GUYS THURSDAY NIGHT :D**


	7. Chapter 7 Confusion and Boredom

Chihiro back away from Haku and Yubaba, her feet stumbling and her footing becoming less coordinated. What Yubaba had just said frightened her. She was solemnly confused and didn't truly understand what they were discussing. Did Chihiro hear them right before? A deal of some sort? She was supposed to die? The ten year old was utterly stricken with confusion at the moment and in the current situation. As her feet continued to move her body back, her foot slipped out from under her. Chihiro landed flat on her but, and looked up at Yubaba and Haku with helpless eyes.

"Look she's already scared. She should be anyway," said Yubaba with a laugh.

Haku glared at the witch and appeared at Chihiro's side.

"This meeting is over," said Haku with a growl. "We're leaving."

Chihiro was suddenly yanked up by her right arm, and drawn towards the door. As she looked back she could see Yubaba with a smirk on her face; however, Chihiro noticed the witch made no notion to stop them from leaving the office. The witch just said four words that haunted Chihiro as she exited the office.

"He will get you."

Just as the two younglings exited the office, the door slammed shut behind them, leaving Chihiro scared out of her wits, and Haku pissed. He dragged Chihiro down through the hall, ignoring her when she tried to ask a question. Chihiro stumbled along the way, and her worry grew greater. Who was _he? _Who was supposed to kill _her?_

"Don't worry about anything Yubaba said," stated Haku. "Ignore everything."

Chihiro looked upon Haku, and tried to decipher what he was trying to do.

"What do you mean forget?"

"Forget everything she said, it doesn't matter. As long as I'm here no harm will come to you. I don't care if your still under her contract that doesn't mean she can drag you into situations that do not involve you."

"But..."

At that moment Haku spun around and grasped her shoulders tightly. His emerald eyes peered into her chestnut ones; they contained ferocity as well as anger. He searched he face as to why she would question him. Did she not trust him?

"I said forget it," he said in a thick, stern voice. "Forget about everything she said. For about the witch in general, she doesn't matter."

Chihiro just stared at Haku with no words to say, except a few words crossed her mind.

_'Who is he? Who is the person Yubaba mentioned.'_

* * *

Later that day, just as the sun was peaking over the horizon, Chihiro sat with Lin eating some food. Her hair flowed with the wind as a light breeze was drafted over the balcony. They sat on the upper balcony of the bathhouse, staring out onto the blue endless ocean of the Spirit World. Chihiro could see the sun's rays glint off the water as it entered the world once more. Her mind hadn't quite drifted off the whole event that occurred earlier, but she was more engrossed in the conversation she and Lin were having; however, as soon as Chihiro had began to gain interest, Lin switched the subject.

"So what did the witch say to you?" said Lin as she took a spoonful of rice.

"Oh...Uhh...Nothing...She just wanted to discuss my...contract. Yeah my contract." Chihiro smiled a little and continued to eat and stuff her mouth so she didn't have to talk further on this course of the conversation.

"Uh huh, sure. Come on you dope, tell me what she said. It couldn't have been bad or anything like that."

"I think it's best if I don't talk about it right now."

"Come on Sen, you can tell me anything you know."

"Lin, there was nothing important, trust me."

Lin let out a sigh and gave a shrug. She then took a spoonful of rice and stuff it into her mouth, then she proceeded to talk with her mouth open because of course that was something Lin would do.

"Whatever you say, dope."

Lin continued to eat her foot, but Chihiro began to peer out at the ocean once more: thoughts just swirling through her mind. She wasn't able to think about on solid idea and her mind just constricted itself into thinking about the whole conversation in Yubaba's office. Chihirk just couldn't get the idea out of her head, even though the conversation occurred few hours ago.

Lin had started to talk again after a few minutes, finally switching to a decent subject. Chihiro nodded a little, and answered a bit, but her mind was of somewhere else entirely.

* * *

The man sat in a wide room, which was rather dimly lit. It smelled of mold and was damp, giving the air a musty feelings. He fiddled with his fingers casually, as he continued to stare in the mirror. He flicked his hand and the image on the mirror faded and revealed a new one. His boredom was ever growing at the moment, but he had watched the witch'es conversation earlier with the dragon, it was rather interesting.

"So the puny girl is pathetic," he muttered. "Not a big surprise as I foresaw."

He rolled his eyes, but continued to plan his revenge.

"So the witch did mention me." He smirked. "The little girl did corrupt the deal, breaking and revealing the dragon's name, as he was to pay his duty back to me. It was his punishment after all, and she disrupted it."

He gave another flick of his finger.

"She'll find out who I really am soon enough," he said. "Soon enough."

With that the man got up from his chair and exited the room, off to find something considerable to do. It wasn't worth it at the moment to watch pathetic beings do nothing. When the violence rose, and the bloodshed began, that's when he would begin watching.

* * *

**Well here we are with another chapter. Thank you for the review, as well as everyone that read the chapter :D This chapter is on the short side, but the next one should be a bit longer. Well off to type the next chapter for Winds of the Lost. Don't forget to review and hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8 Smelly Tubs

A lone spirit wandered across the grassy plains, it's feet trudging, dragging itself along through the grass. It let out a low growl, which rumbled through the grounds it walked on. Its body was filled with contaminants, garbage, or basically anything that was covered in filth. All it wanted was to rid itself of these "sins", but it has a ways to walk to the bathhouse still. He heard from a fellow spirit thy could help him, so he had decided to make the journey, and also joining him was another spirit. It was taller in stature, but with this one, it was different. Every step it took it killed the life forms surrounding.

The taller one had bubbles of poison leaking out of it, and letting fums into the air. It growled and groaned as it limped behind the other spirit in front of it. It's eyes could be barely seen considering two rods went through it's head. The poor spirit had so much trash stuck in it, it was disgusting. The billowing poison surrounding it in a cloud a death basically. If you got within a few feet of it you would probably gag, throw up, or even pass out.

"Are we there yet?" groaned the taller one.

"We...We'll be there soon enough," said the shorter one. "They'll help us...They'll cleanse us of our impurities."

* * *

Chihiro ran down the stairs to the ground floor where the baths were. Her hair flowing behind her as she wrapped around the last corner on the stairs and leaped on the floor and ran to where Lin had said to meet her. The little ten year old had grown over the past two weeks. She had grown stronger, yet there was a part of her that still contained that small whiny side. The way she ran showed she had confidence, and wasn't going to let anything get in her way.

Her feet slid across the wet floor, but she quickly caught herself before she face planted into the floor. Chihiro regained her balance and continued to run. She said hi to various spirits as she passed them, and she finally reached the large tub where Lin was.

"You're finally here you dope," said Lin with a smirk.

"Thanks to the wet floor I almost fell."

"That's why you're a dope."

Chihiro rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Do we seriously have to clean this tub again? I thought we did this yesterday," muttered Chihiro.

"Witch ordered us to do it. The old hag has nothing better to do anyway."

"Lin watch what you say," whispered Chihiro.

"Oh yeah forgot...Whatever." Lin let off a shrug and ushered Chihiro to come over to the side of the tub. Lin began to explain what they had to clean and such, she also explained the daily routine to Chihiro. Yesterday had been eventful, but in a bad way. Everything that had happened was still fresh in Chihiro's mind; however, she was oing her best to forget it all. The ten year old didn't need anymore things on her mind. Chihiro just wanted to make the best of what she had at the moment. Even if he parents were still pigs, she was somehow supposed to die, even though she was probably never going to leave, she told herself she was going to make the best of the current situation.

"You dope," yelled Lin. "You paying attention to me at all?"

Chihiro snapped out of her trance and rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah, of course."

Lin rolled her eyes and put her hands on her him.

"What did I just say then?"

"Ummm...Uhhh..."

"See you weren't paying attention."

"Fine, I wasn't." Chihiro listened to Lin this time as she explained everything once more. Chihiro did drift off a bit, but she tried to keep her mind put. After a few minutes Chihiro nodded and grabbed a sponge from the bucket on the other side of the the room. As she ran over to the tub they were supposed to be cleaning, a foul stench caught her nose.

_'What is that?' she thought._

As Chihiro forced herself to climb the side of the tube, with a sponge in hand, the smell got worse. She sucked a ton of air in and tried not to breath. As she slung her arm over the side of the tub, she could feel the grim along the inside of it. She knew this was nasty, but she continued to pull herself up. She was finally able to poke her head over the top of the tub, but it was not exactly a good thing.

The tub was covered in dirt, garbage, waste, and such. It almost made Chihiro hurl on the spot, but she held it back, knowing she couldn't throw up.

_'Why?' she thought. 'Why do I always get the stupid dirty, disgusting tubs?'_

* * *

**_Hi! Sorry for the short chapter, once again. Next one should be about 2,000 words or more. I just wanted to get this out before I start typing the next chapter for Winds of the Lost. Thank you to everyone that reviewed, and hope you guys continue to enjoy the story. Well off to fix the Christmas tree my little sister just happened to fall into :/ Lol ttyl and REVIEW! :D_**


	9. Chapter 9 Problems and Answers

Grime and a variety of other unclean things covered Chihiro as she wiped the last part of the tub. She had been cleaning this particular tub for the past four hours. Her arms ached from trying to scrub particles that just refused to come off. It made it seem like the tub itself wanted her to ache. Her arms themselves felt like jello and her legs felt as if they would fail her. The constant squatting had also strained Chihiro's legs, making it difficult to stand since she had been in the same position for most of the time.

Lin had left Chihiro to clean the tub by herself about two hours ago. She had been called to another bath by one of the Yuna's. A problem with one of the water dispensing apparatuses had malfunctioned, and Lin being one of the only spirits who knew how to fix it, had been called over to the scene. Lin had said she would be back quickly, but two hours seemed a bit too long to Chihiro.

A sigh escaped her lips as she tried to scrub the last piece of grime off the side of the tub. She grinded the sponge against the bath wall, trying so hard to get it off. She used all her strength to shove the sponge against the tub and repeat the same motion over and over: up and down, up and down.

_'Why won't it come off?'_

Chihiro, after a few minutes of scrubbing, dropped her hand with the sponge to observe the space where the grime had been. Of course after all that hard scrubbing, it was still there. A groan escaped the young girl's mouth and she threw the sponge across the tub; it hit the opposite side and slowly slide down to the bottom. Chihiro began to sulk and she let her body sink to the tub bottom as well. Cleaning the tub for hours had made her exhausted, and stinking piece of grime wouldn't come off in the end? Did life hate her so?

The young girl looked extremely tired, stray hairs falling in front of her face. Her skin looked rather pale and the blood was drained from her face. the bags under her eyes didn't make her look any better either. A ten year old shouldn't look so tired, but of course, no other ten year old was in this kind of situation, or so she thought.

Chihiro's head rested in her hands, and her knees were scrunched up to her stomach, like a fetile position. The frustration had gotten to her, she wasn't going to clean the tub anymore, she refused to. That little piece of grime could stay there, if it didn't want to come off it didn't have to.

_'Stupid piece of grime. Why can't you ju-'_

"Hey dope!" Lin leaned over the tub and screamed in Chihiro's ear. Chihiro, not ready for the sudden surprise, screamed and jerked up. Lin laughed and smirked at Chihiro's reaction. "Wow someone seems down."

Chihiro looked up at Lin and just frowned.

"That," she pointed to the piece of grime. "It won't come off! I tried and tried...It just doesn't want to come off!"

"So you're mad because of that." Lin raised an eyebrow and just shook her head. "No one is going to notice that small spot, just leave it."

"But-"

"I said leave it, dope. Stop working yourself so hard, I don't need you dying on me. Who would be around for me to make fun of if you died, huh?"

Chihiro smirked and pulled herself up from the bottom of the tub, face to face with Lin now. The weasel spirit grasped Chihiro's hand and helped her over the side of the tub. As she tried to climb the side, her footing failed her and she slid down the tub. Lin did have a hold on her hand and pulled Chihiro up with ease.

"You are so light, Sen."

Chihiro just looked at Lin and shook her head. Lin just knew exactly what to say at the_ wrong _time.

"What took you so long," Chihiro asked, looking up at the tall brown haired woman.

"Well, the dang Yuna's seriously don't know how to do anything. They put the token into the wall slot and the water dispenser dropped down, but the Yuna did it while the customer was in the tub. Why she did that, I don't know. your supposed to fill the tub before the customer gets in, the girl had no idea what she was doing. So the water dispenser came down and hit the customer in the head, and the customer freaked. It thrashed like a maniac and its hand slammed down on the dispenser. In the end, the whole thing snapped and water flooded the walls and bath area. I swear, I don't understand why the Yuna was assigned a bath alone."

"Was she new?"

"Suppose so," Lin said as she tapped her chin. "What was her name? I think it was something like Kari."

Chihiro caught the name Lin had said, she knew everyone in the bathhouse and had never heard that name. Chihiro did know she was new, at least from what Lin had said, but why didn't Chihiro know a new Yuna had arrived. Chihiro mearly dismissed the fact that she didn't know the name and payed attention to Lin once more.

"Yeah, girl isn't very bright but whatever. I didn't hire her in the first place."

"Oh ok-"

Screaming suddenly erupted from a few baths over.

"Two spirits are coming!"

"What?!"

"Do not let them in! I repeat, do not let them in!"

"We have to clean them though!"

Lin and Chihiro looked at each other, then darted out of the bath area they were in. They dashed down the hallway, Chihiro trailing behind Lin. They followed the sound of the creams and reached a group of spirits standing around each other. The commotion around the area was quite large, spirits coming out of bath's to see what they were conversing about.

"Shut up!" Lin screamed. All the spirits in front of her and Chihiro stopped talking and yelling. "What are you talking about? Two spirits coming? We give baths to any customer who comes, period."

"These spirits don't have a normal sense to them," one of the spirit's cried. "We have seen a spirit extremely polluted spirit, tainted by humans and the environment, but these are just too tainted. They have a smell on them that doesn't settle with me. They smell evil, they-'

"They smell evil?" asked Lin.

"Yes, I can smell the filth from here and plus a foreman just went to alert Yubaba."

"Are you sure?" she asked the spirit. "Are you sure there are two spirits coming?"

"I do not doubt my senses, Lin. Mine are the best in the bathhouse."

Chihiro listened to everything that was being said and the memories of her incident with that sluggish spirit was brought back. The one she was forced to take care of and the one that delivered the river gift upon her. That spirit was hard enough to take care of, but two more worse then that were on their way? But why? How could two spirits get so tainted that their smell could be smelt from here?

"What's going on?"

Chihiro recognized that voice and she quickly turned around. When she turned she was face to face with familiar emerald eyes. Haku didn't seem to be looking at her, but past her at the spirits who were talking with Lin.

"What did I hear about two spirits coming?" Haku asked.

"There are two two tainted spirits on their way here, Master Haku." said a short plump spirit.

"Why did I not hear about this?" he questioned the spirits.

"They were just detected, Master."

Chihiro turned around once again to see the spirit who was talking with Haku. Lin hopped back into the conversation, arguing about whether the spirits should be let in or not. They commotion that had ceased had started again; however, a hand was placed on Chihiro's shoulder.

"You," said a voice. "aren't getting near those spirits. It's dangerous and I don't need you getting hurt."

Chihiro looked over her shoulder to see Haku glancing at her. She remembered the look he had given her two days ago, and she remembered his voice all to clear.

_"I said forget it," he said in a thick, stern voice. "Forget about everything she said. Forget about the witch in general, she doesn't matter."_

His eyes were stern and Haku wore a straight face. Chihiro could tell he meant business, but then again she was still under the witch's contract. If the witch ordered her to take care of the spirits and she refused, what would happen? But if she ignored Haku, what would he do? Who would she listen to if it were to come down to it? Who would she side with?

"I," Chihiro said. "I-I understand, Haku. I won't get near them..."

Inside her head though, she didn't know if she was fully telling the truth. Only time would tell, only time would determine the answer she would give. Would this answer determine another point in her life? Would this answer destroy or make her lose another thing she loved?

* * *

**And finally another chapter is complete! I want to thank everyone who has reviewed and read the story! I hope you continue to support the story! Please review and let me know what you think :D**


	10. Chapter 10 Approaching

There was commotion booming from the bathhouse, foremen and yunas dashing back and forth across the crowded halls. Chihiro stood amidst all this and just looked around. Haku's words kept replaying in her head, never ceasing, it was as if they were playing on a broken record.

_"You aren't getting near those spirits. It's dangerous and I don't need you getting hurt."_

It had only been about fifteen minutes after he had said that and it seemed as if time around her was slowing down. The commotion in the surrounding room continued to rise, everyone preparing for the two tainted spirits that were making their way across the land. Chihiro tried to concentrate, but with all this noise, she couldn't even get a thought through her mind.

Suddenly a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her down the hall. A familiar bundle of brown hair bounced in front of Chihiro's face as she was pulled through the crowd. The figure reached a deserted hallway and turned around to face Chihiro.

"You okay you, dope?" Lin stood in front of the ten year old girl, with an expression that showed some concern.

"Yeah," Chihiro managed to get out. Right now, all she was thinking about was what was going to happen when the time came to choose between what the witch would say and what Haku said.

"Well your confused and lost face says otherwise." The weasel spirit flicked Chihiro's head. "We have two heavily tainted spirits making their way here, and knowing the witch, she's going to get you involved somehow. You need to have your mind clear for when that happens."

"Yeah," Chihiro muttered. "That's my problem."

"What do you mean?"

"I," Chihiro paused for a moment, deciding whether or not she should explain it to Lin, but she knew she could trust the weasel spirit. "Haku told me not to get near the spirits, but I know Yubaba will probably make me help out with them. I don't know what to do."

"Ah, so that's what's bothering you. Well of course don't listen to the moody dragon. If you want to stay alive listen to what the witch wants to say."

"Lin," said Chihiro with a sigh. "The witch probably wants me dead anyway."

"I was kidding silly," said Lin as she ruffled the girl's hair. "For now, I think you should stay close to your dragon, to make sure nothing weird happens when the witch finally comes into the picture."

Chihiro looked at Lin and nodded. Chihiro knew what Lin had said was probably best, it was best to stay near Haku and see how things turned out. She wasn't that weak, she knew that, but if anyone could help her stand up to the witch it would be Haku. Chihiro turned away from Lin for a moment and looked out across the spacious floor of baths. Where could Haku be anyway? Her eyes scanned the floor, but to no avail. she didn't catch a sight of him at all.

A hand was suddenly placed on her shoulder.

"For now just go help prepare the bath. Your dragon will probably make his way to you anyway. He seemingly does that on his own throughout the day." Lin chuckled and shoved Chihiro forward. "I have to get back to work anyway." With that Lin disappeared into the crowd.

"Hope he comes," mumbled Chihiro as she disappeared back into the crowd of spirits.

* * *

A small spirit spotted her from across the room. She blinked a few times and continued to watch the small ten year old girl make her way through the crowd.

"She's interesting," whispered the girl.

"Come on Kari, we have to get back to work. Those stinking spirits are almost here. Kari turned to see her friend Sera standing by her side and Kari gave a slight nod in reply but looked back to see she had lost sight of the girl.

"I wonder," she whispered. "How things will turn out."

* * *

Haku flew down the many flights of stairs that led up to Yubaba's room. As much as he hated being in that office, his attention and Yubaba's instruction was needed. they couldn't afford to make any mistakes during the course of this rising situation, if they did, it could lead to some grave consequences.

Right now on the lower floors he could see all the bustling commotion. All the spirits of the bathhouse were basically on those lower floors because they needed all the help they could get. Haku let out a little sigh, and honed his eyesight on certain spirits. He was looking for one certain girl floating among them. He had a feeling the witch would involve her somehow, and Haku knew that it wouldn't end good if she did.

"Dang it Chihiro," he mumbled. "Where are you?"

He continued to fly down soon reaching the bottom of the stairway and looked around.

"I literally spoke to her like twenty minutes ago. Where could she have gone?"

* * *

Two spirits approached the outlying stretch of water that separated them from the bathhouse. Reeking stenches permeated off them into the crisp air.

"How do we get across?" one of them questioned.

"We swim you dimwit. We want to be cleansed don't we? Then we need to swim to reach our destination."

"Of course we have to," the other mumbled.

The two spirits looked out once more before sliding into the endless ocean of water. How long would it be before they stepped foot on the lands in front of the bathhouse? What trouble would await them there?

* * *

**And finally another chapter is out after...about five months? XD I am seriously sorry for the long ait you guys. I had this on the backburner kind of because I wanted to focus on some other stories. Since summer is approaching, this will be updated more frequently. Thank you all who reviewed last chapter.**

**I want to say hello to all you new readers, and thank the old ones for coming back. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, see ya soon!...AND REVIEW :D**


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